


Leaf by Mistake

by booktick



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Flirting, Bisexual Hawkeye Pierce, Falling In Love, First Meetings, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-03 10:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17282135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/booktick/pseuds/booktick
Summary: San Francisco seemed so far away, like a distant dream, compared to the town of Crabapple Cove.





	1. The Garden on the Hill

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of this franchise.

* * *

San Francisco seemed so far away, like a distant dream, compared to the town of Crabapple Cove. Peg would have loved the whole trip there, would have already taken a bunch of pictures and all that. But BJ hadn't been in Crabapple Cove long, in fact, he had landed at the airport only the night before. He got a bus to the town around midnight, managed to convince a room a bed and breakfast in town. He had felt so bad waking the owner of the place, and old man with dark hair and a smile that could light up the darkest of tunnels. He paid for a week's stay right away. He'd need to find Potter before the week was out. But this town was still new to him.

He had been told by the owner of the bed and breakfast that someone named Ben--his son he assumed--and Ben would help give him a tour around the place they called home. He still wasn't sure what Ben even looked like. The bed and breakfast owner just said to go to this little coffee shop on the corner. And so there he was, sat in the corner of a corner and hands in his lap. He could feel one or two sets of eyes trying to sneak a look at him. Did...the place really not get a lot of visitors?

He supposed he didn't get to see much of the place when he first arrived. He would have to find this Ben fellow and get his tour eventually. Maybe someone in the shop knew Ben? If it was really a small town like he thought, surely someone knew the guy? BJ swallowed, ran his fingers through his hair and looked up as a barista approached him. The barista had dark hair and the best looking pair of eyes BJ had ever seen. He blinked quickly a few times, almost forgetting his question all together to be honest. His mouth opened and shut a few times, nothing but _uhm_ came out of it.

BJ could feel the hair on his arms standing up at attention. His throat itched and cheeks were warming already. He blinked away the confusion but the words still wouldn't leave his mouth. They sat helplessly on his tongue, nearly forgotten and cold. His mouth opened then shut again, like a fish out of water. The Barista seemed to take notice right away. 

"You looking for some worms there, buddy?" The barista asked, a slight tug of the lips as he placed a cup down.

"Worms..." BJ repeated softly, still not being able to look away. He was bordering on creepy. He just knew it.

This was  _not_ the impression he wanted to make. 

"Nothin'. Here's your coffee you ordered." The Barista turned to step back towards the counter.

He figured he might as well go ahead and ask. What was the worst that could happen? There was more than one Ben in town? Shit, what if the owner didn't even have a son and this was just a guy he knew? He hadn't thought of...uh, any of that really. With all his overthinking about that, he didn't notice had just licked his lips while staring at the barista. His mouth was so dry. Why wasn't he looking away? Look away, Hunnicutt!

But he didn't. "Do you know Ben?" BJ realized then he didn't even have a last name for the stranger named Ben.

The barista looked back, eyebrows raised and head tilted some, "Ben...Franklin?" Funny  _and_ cute. 

_Damn it._

"No, I--I'm at the bed and breakfast up the road? Um...." his eyes shut for a moment, and he was relieved briefly--at least he didn't have to keep staring at the Barista.

"I think he said his name was Pierce. His son was supposed to give me a tour of Crabapple Cove?" At least he was opening and shutting his mouth anymore. 

Once his eyes opened, he cursed himself quietly in the back of his head. He forced himself to look back down at his coffee instead, fingers brushed over it. It had come on so suddenly, he wasn't sure what it was really. It could have been simply morning jitters, he was in a new place after all. He didn't really know anything or anyone here. It was...so different from San Francisco.

But the Barista smiles, "You mean Ben Pierce? Benjamin Franklin Pierce? From Pierce's Bed and Home? _That_ Ben?"

He should have written the owner's name down. That would have made things a whole hell lot easier than this. But BJ lifted his head, careful not to keep eye contact up for too long, and nodded some.

"Yeah, I guess?" He shouldn't have said it like a question. 

And the smile immediately fell away, "Never heard of him." The barista turned and went back to behind the counter.

Well, that was...certainly something. He'd just have to go wander and--Wait a minute, the guy knew the whole name. He grabbed his coffee, as gently as he could--it was still hot after all, and stood, approaching the counter. His eyebrows were busy being furrowed when he looked at the barista again. He wasn't exactly known for confrontation and the word seemed too harsh for this circumstance. But he really did need to find this Ben person so he could get on with his business in the town.

"Listen," BJ tried again, "I really need to find him, okay? I'm here for work and--"

Yet the barista was as quick with his mouth as he was with his hands--in a coffe way though! Good with...preparing coffee...quick. God, he wished Peg was here. And there was a reply before he even finished his sentence, "Work, huh?" 

The snark was not lost on BJ, "You came to the wrong town, pal. There isn't anything here. It's just a coffee shop and breakfast in bed sort of deal."

"I'm sure there's plenty here. In fact, I'm working for Dr. Pott-"

"And you," the barista looked up from the register, eyeing him up and down, "You stand out like a sore thumb. Where you from?"

He didn't have time for this. He didn't want to ruin his first day in Crabapple Cove debating with the barista at the coffee shop. "The San Francisco area--But that isn't-" He couldn't get a word in before the man would butt in.

The Barista lets out a squeak of laughter before swallowing it back down. "Sunny Cali, huh?" A nod follows, lips pushed out some and a shrug to boot.

There had been too much bitterness on the tongue there for BJ _not_ to notice. "What's so wrong with California?" BJ knew plenty of great people there. Like Peg and Donna!

"What's so _wrong_ with Maine?" BJ had never seen such a rapid firing of comebacks like these, except maybe with Peg and Donna.

His nonexistent tail tucked between his legs, and he cupped his coffee so close. He could start to feel the heat spread through his hands and up his arms. It felt good with the cold sleeping into the coffee house from outside. What a welcomed embrace, an embrace BJ never wanted to end. This conversation with the Barista on the other hand...cute was cute but this ring around the Crabapple bush wasn't as much at the moment 

"That's what I'm saying. I'm here for work but I need to find Ben-" he really didn't want to argue. Maybe after a few more coffees and days in Crabapple he'd be ready and, _boy_ , would he be ready.

"Hey," Someone shouts from the back of the shop and BJ looked over his shoulder, "I'm _still_ waiting on my coffee. We aren't all as young and stupid as you, you know?"

_Well, jeez._

"Some of us have jobs to get to." The shouting man added in another verbal jab.

"Oh, leave Hawkeye alone, Frank. He's busy flirting with the Californian brawn." A woman piped in, smacking the grim man's arm with one hand and a newspaper in the other.

"Margaret, please," Frank whined and tried to keep his voice hush hush now apparently, "It's the principle." Then he was all thunder again, "Which _some_ people don't get!"

BJ immediately looked away when he made brief eye contact with Frank. His eyes widened some and he looked to Hawkeye for help instead. He didn't want to be a part of...whatever this was. He didn't need to help piss off some guy on his first day in Crabapple Cove, the heart of the...crab's apple? That didn't sound right. He'd figure it out eventually. 

"Yeah, yeah, you'll get your coffee, Burns." The barista, now known as Hawkeye apparently, waved his hand in the air, "Take a laxative for your mouth." The latter was murmured.

" _What_ did you say?" The Burns fellow really was steamed, huh? 

"Nothing, Frank. I said I'd get you your coffee." Hawkeye turned back towards the machines, taking a cup out from a shelf below.

BJ could already tell he would be avoiding whoever that Frank guy was. "Do all your customers speak to you like that?" He felt bad for Hawkeye and he barely knew him.

"Not all, just Frank." Hawkeye turned back, a roll of the eyes as he placed a lid on a cup and placed it on the corner of the counter--BJ had a feeling that was on purpose.

And BJ hears that heavy sigh from Hawk--he was familiar with that sort of sigh, "He thinks he owns the place." The smile that returns is smaller than earlier's but it's just as warm, "Here's your coffee, Frank. Careful, it's hot headed." BJ could hear the huff from the back of the shop.

He couldn't help but smile back the same way. His hands still tight around his coffee, and he took a sip. He pulled the cup away from his lips and nodded, trying to forget how hot the coffee was going down his throat. At least it bet the cold from outside. He had thought a windy day in San Francisco was cold...but this? Maine was going to devour him before Spring even got there.

"Tasty?" Hawkeye was the one staring this time.

"The best." He nodded.

That was... _half_ true.   
"Mhm."

Okay, a _third_ true.

It was fresh though! Fresh coffee was always good in BJ Hunnicutt's view. But not everyone would agree with that sentiment. Some people just hated coffee and people. Like Frank Burns it would seem. He barely knew the Barista, Frank Burns even less yet getting a read the guy with the ferret face was a lot easier for BJ. 

Speaking of which-  
"AH!" They both looked at the corner of the counter only to see a grimace that BJ had never seen the likes of before, "This is hot!"

"Yes, Frank.  _Very good, Frank._ That's why I said be careful. It's hot." Hawkeye folded his arms, this time one eyebrow raised, "Or did you not listen? Again?"

Frank looked at BJ, his nose wrinkled and shoulders at his ears as he stomped on by like a vulture without his meal. BJ didn't even try to say anything when his arm was shoved by the man. The bell on the door dinged after it was slammed. He turned to look over his shoulder, no sight of Frank now. It was good coffee though it was hot too. Maybe this Hawkeye guy just gave the better coffee to people who weren't like Frank. He looked back to Hawkeye, still smiling, and holding his coffee far too close to his chin.

"So," Third time was the charm, "You know Benjamin Pierce?"

Hawkeye's smile grew until it met his eyes, "Please," he placed a hand upon his own chest, "No need to be so formal, Sunshine. You can just call me Hawk. All my friends do."

"Wa-Yo..." That...certainly cleared a lot of things up, "That was a dirty trick."

"No trick." Hawkeye laughed, that sort of laugh that tickles the heart or, probably more than likely, the funny bone "Just good ol' fashion fun."


	2. Trails of Temptation

* * *

"The first thing you do is avoid Frank like your life depends on it." Hawkeye informed him, even motioning with two fingers towards the eyes and then sticking them out into the air, "Always have a trained eye for the Burned out Burns."

He can barely keep up with the bouncing barista. He was ready to give up on trying, his lungs begging him to due to the weather, yet the inner drive of his gut wanted to press on and so he did. Hawkeye was practically skipping down the sidewalk, with BJ a few paces back. BJ hadn't seen Hawkeye consume any sort of caffeine since they had met, not even a single cup of joe. He had finished his own coffee about three blocks back.

It was so damn cold, it was like he hadn't drank any coffee at all. He stuck to shoving his hands into his coat pockets. Thank goodness he trusted Peg and brought this damn thing to Crabapple. His toes and fingers would have fallen off by now if he hadn't packed what he had. He couldn't get by with one coat though.

He was sure it hadn't been this cold last night. Maybe he'd been so numb to it all he didn't care, maybe he had been too excited about working with Dr. Potter here to remember this wasn't California. He'd have to find a shop, get some heavier layers if he was going to stay in Maine. Boots too, boots were good. His toes wiggled inside the boots that were currently tromping along, a stab of cold shot through them a moment later. His eyebrows came together as his nose wrinkled, an expression, his companion might say, that was not fit for someone like BJ Hunnicutt.

It tasted sour on his tongue, all this _cold_. It just wasn't right. He missed the beach. All they had here was snow and crab. He wasn't a big fan of seafood to begin with, California or not. The beach wasn't all about seafood. He knew how to enjoy a PB&J under an umbrella as seagulls hunted him down for the rest of the day for the rest of the sandwiches in his cooler. It was a far stretch from home but Crabapple Cove  _had_ to have highlights to the place. 

"Pierce-" he began to say.

"Hawkeye." The man takes one look back at him, barely a few seconds, "I told you, just call me Hawkeye."

There was that funny little name again: Hawkeye. Where did that nickname come from? Not that he really wanted to go around calling the guy Ben now that BJ knew he preferred Hawkeye. Besides, it was fun to say anyway. It made his tongue tickle a bit, not that his tongue...was tickled often or anything of the sort. It was just something interesting to him was all.

Hawkeye Pierce was interesting, it was the best compliment he could give the man right now. Compared to BJ, Hawkeye looked ready for a jamboree. Cladded in a coat that reached his knees, blue as the sky in Spring, and the brightest pair of green sweatpants that looked to be a size too big on Hawk. BJ couldn't help but lose the grimace and smile at the sight before him, busying his eyes with crisp gushing winds of Crabapple instead of eyeballing this stranger turned acquaintance.

And Hawkeye continued merrily on, "Everyone does. Except Frank maybe. And Potter." Sherman Potter? "Definitely Potter. But that's two whole different reasons."

BJ literally jumped to get an almost even pace with Hawkeye, trying not to run into anyone or anything. Though with the current weather, he didn't see too much of anyone or anything on the streets they walked upon. The most he had seen had been in the cafe actually. He looked at the ground for a few breaths, which he could now see in the air. The slush was piled in with the snow, a mixture of the two spread along the town of Crabapple. He only grimaced further each time he took a step too deep in it. He could start to feel it leaking into his boots, making his socks all wet and gross to the touch. He'd have to change as soon as he got back to the bed and breakfast. He sighed, and shrugged off the feeling before he spoke again.

"You know Dr. Potter?"

"Know him? I'm practically the son he never wanted." Hawkeye was all teeth and crows feet.

"Ah." BJ turned to face away, elbow to elbow with Hawk now.

They were crossing the road before he could ask anything further. He couldn't help but glance over at his companion a few times too many. To be honest, he would have blamed it on the hat. Hawkeye wore what BJ could only describe as a cowboy hat, which he meant in the most generous of ways. It was definitely straw and definitely too big for an already big head.

Not that he would have mentioned that last part to his new friend from Crabapple, Maine. Speaking of which...

"Hey-" he looked over and his eyes immediately fell onto Hawk's jaw.

Oh.

" _Hey_." Hawkeye's lips were closer together this time, not too much teeeth, but that twinkle in his eye...

"Yea," BJ forced himself to look away again. His heart was back to its' drums "Are you sure it's okay? You leaving your cafe like that?"

"Oh, the shop? Yeaaah." Hawkeye waved it off so easily, "It isn't just me there, y'know? I just like to get my hands busy."

"Right." He nodded, looking up at whatever signs were nearby. 

"Besides Klinger's got it covered. The guy is a real people person." 

"Klinger?" BJ leaned back some more, squinting at the sign on the building they were passing.

_Rosie's._

"Max, yeah." Hawkeye replied, "Great guy. Great legs."

"Yeah."

"Beej, are you listening?"

That got his attention. BJ looked back to Hawkeye, his lips parted a bit more and eyes all round. His voice was caught somewhere between surprise and confusion. He blinked quickly a few times before letting himself laugh to break the ice that was starting to form. He couldn't slip right in front of Hawk...not again.

"Yeah. Of course. Max Klinger. Great guy." He nodded, far too much.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes and began to walk again, "As I was saying, my dear Hunnicutt."

"As you were saying." BJ followed suit.

 "As I was saying," Hawkeye gestured to the air with his hands, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm your guide today. I'm here to show you the layout of the town and get you into the swing of things."

The swing of things, that didn't seem...awful. But the way Hawkeye _said_ it. He wasn't so sure if Hawkeye Pierce would show him how the town itself operated or how _Hawkeye_ operated in the town itself.

BJ just kept nodding, looking at the sludge that his boots kicked up as they walked onward. He figured if he just kept following this Benjamin Pierce, called Hawkeye, fellow it would lead him to some sort of conclusion of what exactly Crabapple Cove really was. Besides the sludge and the town creep, known as Frank Ferret Face Burns, according to Hawkeye, he didn’t have much to go on. Sure, he read the description of the place, all the parks and where he’d be working. He even made sure to look at some of the names of the people he’d be working with, like Margaret Houlihan, whom he met that morning…somewhat brief but at least that was a start.

The way he was following Hawkeye though, that was a whole different ballpark. When Hawkeye would jump, he’d run and when he’d laugh, Hawkeye would…well, it didn’t really matter what expression Hawkeye held in that circumstance. He barely knew the guy. Barista at a café, smart mouth, great smile and a fantastic pair of….shoes. He didn’t really know anything at all about Hawkeye. For all BJ knew, this Hawkeye Pierce, also named Ben, could very well be trying to give him the run around. Sure was easy to laugh at the newcomer when the newcomer doesn’t get the joke.

That had to be it. How else could he even begin to describe the barista’s existence?

That Crabapple Cove just happened to be the perfect place for him to go, to run into a man who moved faster than a cheetah and laughed like a hyena, that it all was a way for the universe to put them together for…why? Because they were so well suited, the perfect straight man to the class clown. What a great lesson for BJ Hunnicutt, M.D.

He sighed, eyes shutting for a few breaths before he reopened them. There he had gone, overthinking again. He shouldn’t judge the guy so fast. Yes, it was true Hawkeye was a bit…different. Hawkeye had a way of doing things that he hadn’t really seen before, or had experienced in his own behavior. That didn’t mean much at all though, not really. This was a new place with new people and he was far away from his family. It was nerves and the cold that was eating away at him, that’s all.

If he could slow his mind down and let his shoulders finally loosen up, then maybe he could match Hawkeye’s jokes and jabs. If not match, then at least meet half way. If he could catch up half way, he’d have a fighting chance at figuring out what exactly Hawkeye was here in Crabapple. Hawkeye was the bed and breakfast owner’s son, that was a fact, he knew that one. But how did everyone else react to Hawkeye? If he could just get a read on the guy, he’d know how to get answers to his questions and he could move forward with his career here at Crabapple Cove.

“Hey, Beej,” a voice crawls into his ear.

His whole body jerked, eyes blown wide as he looked to his right. There was Hawkeye again, pressed arm to arm and leaning into him even further as they walked. Had they crossed another street? BJ couldn’t remember what the last thing they had said to one another, what they had done in the last minute or so. How long had he been stuck in his head?

“Earth to BJ Hunnicutt.” Hawkeye elbowed him this time before finally leaning away, shoving his hands into his coat pockets.

BJ blinked a few times, “Oh, sorry. Did you…say something?”

“No, I was miming. I’m a fantastic mime, honest. You should see my street performances on the fourth of July-“

“Hawk.” BJ’s lips tugged, fighting a smile.

“I was answering your question.”

Oh. Right. He asked something….

What the hell did he ask again?

"What did I say?" He looked from Hawkeye to the buildings again, no eyes seemed to be trained on the duo. But he also wasn't seeing anyone through the windows of buildings either.

It was Hawkeye's turn to widen his eyes, eyebrows raised high "You don't remember what you asked?"

"Maybe if you weren't so busy staring at my ass, you'd remember." That had been bold of BJ, something he didn't even expect of himself.

He had to keep it up. Keep replying back, turn the tables on Hawk. He didn't know what was on the table, or how the table was built or even looked like, but he could flip it. He'd learn with time. The more he spent in Crabapple Cove, the more he'd get to experience Hawkeye Pierce. That may sound a tad troublesome but...as he looked back at Hawkeye, the way the man could go from mouth agape and wide eyes to tossing his head back and laughing until his lungs ached, well, the idea of Hawkeye Pierce sort of made things a bit more interesting. Interesting, that was a good word to use for Hawkeye. The wind howled in both their ears again, leaving a new sheet of snow across the blankets of it on the sidewalk. They really should put down some salt or something...

"Staring at your ass, huh? Well, to be honest, as much as I like seeing it, handsome, I'd rather watch it walk away." Hawkeye wiped away the tears on his eyes, as if tickled by the existence of BJ Hunnicutt, "That's was a good one, Hunnicutt."

A good one. Hawkeye liked his joke that wasn't actually a joke to begin with but simple panic when caught up in the moment. Good. That was progress, potential really, what for...that was the tricky part.

He shook his head, "I was seeing if you were listening. It was a joke, Pierce." BJ was definitely smiling this time.

"Uh huh, a joke. Sure." His new friend only nodded, possessing what could only be called the knowing smile, "And call me Hawkeye. I told you, my fr-"

"Your friends call you Hawkeye. Yes. I know."

They carried on for what felt like an hour, and had to be an hour when they were approaching the only patch of green he had seen since they started their tour. A building, not too tall but not too small, stood at a hill. A road wrapped around the hill yet no cars, much like in town, seemed to be on it. He had to lean forward, squint, to find the sign that was not as green or uncovered as the grass on the hill. He could almost see the sign the closer they got, just a bit further and...there it was. Crabapple Cove Hospital. Hospital...OH! Hospital! The hospital!

"Here's the clinic." Hawkeye annouced.

BJ's eyebrows came together, and he turned to look at Hawkeye. His hands pulled out from his own coat pockets and he ran his gloved fingers through his hair. The bitter air still nipped at his hands, even if they were gloved and defenseless against this Maine weather. It wasn't fair, all this snow, and no sign of sunlight for a good thousand miles probably.

"Clinic?" BJ asked.  
"Yeah," he nodded, "It says hospital but we aren't exactly the biggest of towns. We don't really get enough money to expand as much as we'd like."

"Oh...that's a shame, Hawkeye. I'm sorry..." jeez, that was a shame. He felt bad for the rest of the town. 

"It's not quite a hospital but it's enough for now. We just call it the hospital to make things easier." Hawkeye's shoulders came up as fast as they fell back down.

"It's easier to convince people in town to go. Or so Dad says."

The Bed and Breakfast owner? Hawk said his name was...Daniel? He couldn't remember for sure...  
"Your dad comes here a lot?"  
"Well, yeah," Hawkeye answered, "He's a doctor."

"But he runs the bed and breakfast?"

"You can do both." Hawkeye huffed, "Both isn't greedy, my dear BJ Hunnicutt."

"Oh, now you're gonna tell me you're a doctor too." BJ nodded, looking back towards the building.

"No, for starters, I was going to say that your fly's down." Hawkeye stared at him with the second best pokerface in all of Maine, " _And then_ I was going to say I was a doctor."


End file.
